Student faces punishment after classmate brought knife to school

A Cypress family is upset after a knife was brought to their daughter's school.

Mikayla is a seventh grader at George E. Hopper Jr. Middle School in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Her stepfather, Robert Pena, said she never touched the knife but is still being punished by administrators.

"It's a scary situation. It's frustrating and I'm kind of ticked off at Cy-Fair for making that decision," said Pena. "They're 13 year olds. They're children. They're not police officers."

Pena said Mikayla was told she was in trouble because she didn't tell an adult. Pena said that's unfair.

It forces children to be tattletales, exposes them to bullying and could make their life more difficult on campus, he said.

Mikayla told Eyewitness News she felt threatened by the weapon and didn't want to get involved.

"One of our friends gave (the knife) to her to hold it. She showed me. I told her that she shouldn't have or she's going to get in serious trouble," said Mikayla. "I was scared for her and for all of us who saw it."

Mikayla said six other kids were disciplined for the incident. She must go to in-school detention every day and was suspended from school on the last two days of class this semester.

ABC13 reached out to Cy-Fair ISD about the situation. They confirmed a knife was brought on campus and compared the incident to an airport.

If you see something, say something, the district said. Students must alert teachers about any dangerous situations.

Cy-Fair ISD released the following statement:

"The district takes matters of student safety very seriously. Although the investigation determined this to be an extremely poor choice and no ill will was intended, those involved in the incident have been disciplined according to the Student Code of Conduct. Students who have knowledge of any unsafe items or circumstances should make a report to campus administrators immediately, as communication is instrumental in allowing us to take immediate action."